312 
PHLEBITIS. 
PHLEBITIS. 
By James Western, M.R.C.V.S., Horse Artillery, 
Bangalore, Madras. 
Dear Sir, — In a letter lately received from a nephew of 
mine, a pupil at the Royal Veterinary College, he expresses 
considerable interest in a case of Obliteration of a Jugular 
Vein under treatment, at the time he wrote, by a veterinary 
surgeon of well-known talents, who kindly assists him with 
clinical instruction. 
As I have, in the course of my practice in India (which 
has extended over a period of upwards of tw 7 enty-five years, 
without any intermission), had many cases of inflamed vein, 
and been, I believe, more than usually successful, I have 
much pleasure in placing before the profession the treatment 
adopted, which, to some at least, may be new, and which, 
though simple in itself, I have never found to fail. I must, 
how ever, premise, that all my cases originated in venesection, 
and not in an extensive lacerated w 7 ound, as I understand the 
case to be mentioned by my relative. 
The theory of the origin of the disease I leave the younger 
heads to discuss ; for I remember, w hen a pupil myself, intro- 
ducing the subject at the then existing Veterinary Medical 
Association with a most unsatisfactory result. 
There is one thing, however, which I do not think is 
generally known, which is, that when one case occurs wdth 
one practitioner, others are occurring w ith others, as if some 
temporary constitutional idiosyncracy, some atmospheric or 
other hidden agent, w 7 ere at work, to influence the effect of the 
simple operation of bleeding. 
Treatment . — As soon as I find the lips of the orifice pout- 
ing and discharging that ichorous serous fluid w 7 hich always 
accompanies the disease, I imprint a vertical line with the 
actual cautery about five inches long and tolerably deep 
across the gaping w 7 ound, exactly at right angles with the 
line of the phleam or lancet, budding the w 7 ound itself w r ith the 
point of the cautery : on each side of this line I draw tw r o 
others of equal length and depth, parallel, a little more than 
half an inch apart ; and over all spread a good layer of strong 
blister, which is never interfered with until thrown off by 
sloughing, and then the parts are merely dressed with simple 
dressing. 
My firing iron (for all occasions) is very sharp, for I find 
by this I can penetrate deeply without producing ulterior 
disfigurement. 
